David by Michelangelo – Facts & History of the Sculpture Height 517 cm (203.5 in) David is one of the most exquisite Renaissance sculptures made during the early 1500s. This famous work of art was created by Michelangelo, a famous Italian artist. The statue measures 5.17 meters tall, and it is a marble figure of the biblical hero named David. This young man was also the most common subject in Renaissance art, particularly in Florence. Highlights The sculpture was originally intended as among the statues of prophets that were positioned at the roofline of the eastern section of the Florence. Furthermore, it was placed in the public square at Palazzo della Signoria, which was the center of Florence’s civic government. Because of the courageous nature of this biblical hero, it eventually became the symbol of defense of the civil liberties depicted in the Florentine Republic. The artwork is much different from the previous statues made by other famous artists such as Verrocchio and Donatello. David by Michelangelo depicted the young David before he went on to his battle with the mighty Goliath. Hence, the figure’s face appeared tense and set for combat instead of victorious because of his foe’s defeat.

Features Michelangelo’s artwork is his interpretation of the typical Ancient Greek theme of a heroic biblical figure. It features the contrapposto pose, which is a distinctive aspect of antique sculptures. The brave David stands in a tense manner, with one leg relaxed while the other holds its total body weight. Hence, this causes his shoulders and hips to rest at an opposite angle. Moreover, David’s head turns towards his left, and he is carrying a sling at his back. With all these features, many people regard the sculpture as a symbol of youthful beauty and human strength. The statue is also quite large, as compared to the artist’s contemporaries during that era. In fact, most art scholars consider the statue as miraculous, as Michelangelo was able to bring back to life a renowned figure who was already dead. Although there were numerous colossal statues ever created in history, David by Michelangelo has remained as one of the finest and most impressive. It is also important to note that some of the features of this statue seemed quite large, particularly the hands and head. However, the artist did this on purpose since the statue was intended to be positioned on the roofline of the cathedral.

Thus, he needed to find a way to accentuate certain parts that would make them visible when viewed from below. Additional Details This figure appears rather slender from the front to back when compared to its height. According to scholars, this may be caused by the work done on the block even before the artist started carving it. In addition, the statue was regarded as a political image prior to his decision to work on it. Evidently, David has long been the preferred political image throughout Florence, as several artworks that featured the biblical hero were commissioned in most of the significant locations in the city. Conservation and Preservation In 1991, the statue’s foot was badly damaged when a deranged man smashed it with a hammer. Based on the collected samples from that incident, scientists were able to discover that the marble was obtained from Miseglia’s Fantiscritti quarries, which was in one of Carrara’s small valleys. With the degradation of the marble, the statue has undergone its very first major cleaning, from 2003 to 2004. Four years after, there were plans to insulate the sculpture from the vibration caused by the tourists’ footsteps, in order to prevent further and more severe damages of the marble.

Several reproductions of the statue has been made throughout the years. For instance, the plaster cast of this biblical hero is currently displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum. However, this statue has a plaster fig leaf, which was created when Queen Victoria was shocked about the statue’s nudity. The plaster fig leaf is hung on the figure using two hooks, prior to any royal visits. In the 20th century, the sculpture has become an iconic term for the city’s culture. The statue has also been reproduced frequently such as in imitation marble fiberglass and plaster, which symbolized an ambience of refinement and culture in various settings such as model railroads, gambling casinos and beach resorts. Thus, the artwork is indeed the finest in history because of its grand size, interesting details and features. 5 responses to “David” Michelangelo's David Michelangelo's David We all know Michelangelo's David. Traditionally, David was portrayed after his victory, triumphant over Goliath. Both Verrochio's and Donatello's Davids are depicted standing over Goliath's severed head. Michelangelo has depicted David before the battle. Davis is tense, but not so much in a physical as in a mental sense.

The slingshot he carries over his shoulder is almost invisible, emphasizing that David's victory was one of cleverness, not sheer force. This interpretation comes from Gardner's art through the ages . Irving Stone is somewhat more specific in stating that David is depicted at the moment that he decides to engage Goliath. Michelangelo was a citizen of the city state of Firenze (Florence). The national state of Italy is very young, and in the time the statue was made (between 1501 and 1504), power resided with individual cities. Firenze was surrounded by enemies that much stronger and more numerous than the city was. When the statue of David was placed on the square in front of the city hall (where you can now find a copy), the people of Firenze immediately identified with him, as a cunning victor over superior enemies. To them, David was a symbol representing fortezza and ira, strength and anger. The statue had (intended) political connotations for the city state that had recently cast of the ruling of the Medici family.

Note how David's character traits, are considered more important than his victory over Goliath, which is why Michelangelo depicted him before the battle, strong-willed and ready to fight. Nowadays, you can find David in the Galeria dell'Academia in Firenze. You'll find him among other statues by Michelangelo, some of which are only half finished, which in my opinion makes them even more impressive. There are two more copies of David in Firenze, one in front of the old city hall, and one on a hill overlooking the city. Here are some references in case you are interested in Michelangelo, in David, or just in art in general. These books do a much better job of presentation that any web site does. The pictures on this page come from Charles de Tolnay, Michelangelo, Sculptor, Painter, Architect, Princeton University Press (1975). (copyright!). This book is also where most of the information is from. It covers all (or most) of Michelangelo's work, and it includes pictures of most of his work. H. de la Croix, R. G. Tansey, and D.

Kirkpatrick, Gardner's Art Through the Ages, HBJ, 1926-1991 is a very general, very impressive book on Art history. The Amazon page for this book Irving Stone, The Agony and the Ecstasy, Doubleday, 1961, is a novel about the life of Michelangelo. I haven't read it, but I have been told it is very good. Amazon page for this book . The statue of David was started by a different artist, Agostino di Duccio, in 1463. He picked out a rather narrow piece of stone, which was customary for artists of his denomination. If you are an art expert, you can see from the side that this is not a piece that Michelangelo would have picked. It is too thin. The front however, did not come out too bad... Here are some interesting links: A short biography of Michelangelo Buonarroti, at the Lucid Cafe. Michelangelo Buonarroti , a large collection of statues from THAIS (can someone tell me what THAIS is?). Have your own David. Some people think he makes an excellent garden gnome .

(This statue by Murrayco is actually a cast version of David, made from marble dust. The digital Michelangelo project from Stanford, with a 3D scan of David's head. Statue of David Statue of David Michelangelo's Sculpture Is World Famous, Yet There's More Than One David in Florence... The Statue of David by Michelangelo at the Accademia Gallery is just one of the famous Davids in Florence. Many artists have created their likeness of the biblical hero, one of the main symbols of Florence. Read here about the David's that came before (and after) Michelangelo's. Knowing the differences and the similarities between the statues, and how each great work fed off the others will enrich your experience of seeing these unique Renaissance sculptures. Who Was David? The Philistine army was fighting the Israelis. A giant, Goliath, was part of the Philistine army and the Israelis were terrified of him. David was a young boy – not part of the army – but who was nearby. He saw how Goliath taunted and mocked the Israeli soldiers and he got angry. David volunteered to fight the giant. Not being a soldier, David wasn’t familiar with armor or weapons, and refused both.

He went with his simple tunic and slingshot. David felt that his people were in the right and God would protect him – justice would prevail in spite of the weapons that the Philistine giant had. With one shot of his sling, he got a stone to pierce Goliath’s head, the giant collapsed, and David then took Goliath’s sword and cut off the giant’s head. The Connection Between David and Florence Ever since Renaissance times, Florence has seen David as an emblem of the city. David’s strength, courage and youthful confidence were the image that Florence wanted to project. In the 1500’s Florence had regained its status as a republic. David symbolized the city’s independence from outside domination, both foreigners and the aristocracy. Like Florence, David turns out to be more powerful than he looks. Standing guard outside the government offices, the statue is also a reminder of the example to follow: defend boldly and lead justly. The statue of David by Michelangelo Michelangelo’s statue of David has become practically a synonym for Florence.

The making of this famous sculpture had a difficult history.﻿ The marble block that Michelangelo used to make the David had been sitting in the courtyard of today’s Museum of the Works of the Duomo for over 20 years. Two other artists had previously tried to satisfy the Wool Guild's request for a gigantic David, but had found the quality of the marble poor and the massive size too difficult to work with and had given up. So, the partially chiselled mass lay abandoned and exposed to the elements while the commissioners kept hoping to find another sculptor who could make something of it. Michelangelo thought he could do it, and took on the job. He started in 1501 and three years later, on 24 June 1503 (the holiday celebrating the patron saint of Florence, St. John the Baptist) Michelangelo’s outdoor workshop was opened to the public. Like Donatello’s marble David, the sculpture was originally meant to stand on one of the pedestals near the cupola of the Duomo. However, whereas Donatello’s David was considered too small to be seen from the ground, Michelangelo’s statue was considered too great to be ‘hidden away’ in such a spot.

It was clear right away that the David was far too special to be put high up on a church buttress. The picture below shows how this would have looked. A committee was formed to decide the most suitable location to put the masterpiece. The committe was made up of Florence's most authoritative citizens, including fellow artists. It was decided to put the David in front of the main entrance to the town hall. A funny note: Leonard da Vinci was on the committee to choose the best place to put the David. Rather than at the entrance to the building, he suggested a niche on the side of the Loggia – a much more concealed spot. This is considered an apparent case of artistic jealousy between the two geniuses, who supposedly weren't bosom buddies. One of the most notable and unique aspects of Michelangelo's David was that the artist had broken away from his predecessors. Michelangelo was the first artist to depict David getting ready to fling his slingshot, rather than after having defeated the giant. As a result, this is the only Renaissance David that doesn’t include the severed head of Goliath. This choice by Michelangelo would influence later depictions of David.

One example is the 17th century sculptor Bernini whose statue of David (below) also shows the hero ‘before the fact’. Moreover, Michelangelo’s statue of David seems to have a deeper meaning than the others. His hero abounds in both intellect and strength: his eyes squint ever so much in concentration, his mind is calm and deeply focused and there is perfect harmony between David’s muscles and the power they exude. This David seems to represent more than just the one battle, just the one historic moment. Some say that Michelangelo wanted to express his vision of modern man, or the man of the future even. Just like David, he seems to be saying that man is master of his own fate, capable – through his God given gifts – of previously unthought-of accomplishments. Michelangelo's David can be seen at the Accademia Gallery. The First David by Donatello Donatello was the first Renaissance sculptor commissioned to make a statue of David in 1408. This David was sculpted in marble and is quite traditional. The young hero is seen from the front, dressed in robes, with the head of Goliath victoriously at his feet.

The statue is more-or-less life sized at just over 6 feet. David is seen in the conventional posture of a triumphant youth with classical features similar to sculptures found in ancient Greece or Rome. The work was commissioned by the Operai (literally, ‘workers’) of the cathedral who were in charge of the art work in the basilica. The original idea was to have statues of biblical figures placed on the ledges around the terrace of the Duomo. Once the statues were placed on the buttresses though, they turned out to be too small to be seen from the ground and were removed. In 1416 the government of Florence (the Signoria) requested that the David, which had not found a ‘home’ yet, be displayed in Palazzo Vecchio , the town hall. David had already acquired political meaning for the city of Florence. Donatello’s Second Statue of David Made in the 1440’s, this statue was cast in bronze and stands at just over 5 feet. This second David couldn’t be more different from his first.

To begin with, the boy is completely naked, except for – of all things – a stylish wide-brimmed hat (or helmet) with a floral arrangement on top, and a pair of boots tight to the calves. This is a bizarre get-up that scholars still have a hard time explaining. It’s been described as ‘David with a fetish’ by some. Then, David – although certainly a hero – does not give off the aura of strength or virility. In fact, he’s quite effeminate. His hand is on his hip which is pushed out to the right in an almost flirty pose. There’s also his expression: it doesn’t seem fitting for the occasion. He has a far-off look, a wistful air about him, in contrast to a young man who has just slain a giant, sword still in hand and head at his feet. His lack of muscles and visible power could be seen as consistent with the age of a very young boy, although his slight paunch in the belly seem to, undoubtedly, be making an effeminate reference. This is also the only statue of David that depicts the hero with long hair hanging way down his back in ringlets.

Some think Donatello meant his David to be homosexual, although there is no factual evidence to back up this theory. The most widely accepted explanation for such an original take on the figure of David by Donatello is that the artist merely wanted to break away from all classical and traditional ideas of the male nude. Like all great creative minds, he was an innovator. And the result is sublime. This statue of David was likely commissioned by the Medici. The sculpture was in the courtyard of their home and was later sold by the family to the Signoria of the town hall. Both of Donatello’s Davids are on display at the Bargello museum . The statue of David by Verrocchio Verrocchio was a Renaissance artist who, for most of his life, worked for the Medici. He had an even more famous Renaissance artist as a pupil in his Florence workshop, namely Leonardo Da Vinci. It has been said, in fact, that it was the young and handsome Leonardo who was the model for Verrocchio’s David. Verrocchio’s David (circa 1475) is a delicate bronze statue that is just over 4 feet tall. This statue was also commissioned by the Medici.

Verrocchio’s David is clothed in a sort of tunic. One original touch that Verrocchio added was to put gold paint to the trim of David’s clothes and the waves in his hair. The head of Goliath is not a part of the whole statue, but was cast on its own and is a separate piece placed at the feet of the boy. Donatello’s David clearly inspired Verrocchio’s, although not in anti-conventionality. They’re both in bronze, both Davids have their left arm bent and leaning on their hip, and both have the head of Goliath at their feet. Both boys are holding Goliath’s sword in their right hand. They differ in that Verrocchio’s statue of David is modestly dressed whereas Donatello’s is bold and brash in his nudity. They both have a slight smirk, typical of adolescent swaggering. Where Donatello’s depiction is cheekily unique in its beauty, Verrocchio’s is traditionally and poetically striking. Verrocchio’s statue of David can also be seen at the Bargello Museum. Sculpting a Bronze Statue I highly recommend that you go to see Donatello's and Verrocchio's Davids.

(I'm taking it for granted that you are going to go to the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo's statue) If you do, you might find yourself wondering how an artist can 'sculpt' something in bronze, a metal. It's certainly not like chiseling into clay, plaster or marble, right? The answer is, you don’t. You sculpt into wax. First the artist builds a sort of skeletal ‘base’ made of metal rods and clay that has more or less the shape and size that the final statue will have, but not the details. On top of this sturdy foundation, a thin layer of wax is spread and the artist sculpts the details into this material. Then, the wax original is covered in soft plaster. When the plaster is hardened, holes are put into it and the wax inside is heated, until it melts away (really melts OUT of the plaster cast, passing through holes). Once the plaster cast is hollowed, the molten bronze can be poured into it. The liquid bronze fills the nooks and crannies left by the now-gone wax. Once it’s cooled and hardened, the plaster outside is removed, and voila!

The statue of David by Donatello and Verrocchio were made using this 'lost wax' method. Find out more about Florence with Quick Links... David Statue, Florence 174 Insider Tips, Photos and Reviews Classic Florence Walking Tour "This tour depart in front of Basilica di San Lorenzo one of the largest churches of Florence situated at the centre of the city’s main market district and the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family.Then we will stop in Santa Maria del Fiore the main church in town. Il Duomo di Firenze as it is ordinarily called was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The cathedral complex Private Tour: Walking Tour plus The Uffizi or Accademia Gallery Guided Tour "Choose between a walking tour plus a guided visit of the Uffizi museum or a walking tour with the Accademia Gallery visit.

In the Uffizi's Gallery Art works from the ancient Roman time will lead you inside one of the most known museum in the Painted by famous artists like Giotto Masaccio Filippo and Filippino Lippi Botticelli Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo etc. In the Accademia Gallery you'll be amazed by the giant sculptures of Michelangelo and Private Tour: Uffizi Gallery and Italian Happy Hour Aperitif "Once you meet the guide you will be inside in few minutes thanks the skip the line tickets.This is one of the most famous museums of paintings and sculpture in the world. Its collection of Primitive and Renaissance paintings comprises several universally acclaimed masterpie including works by Giotto Simone Martini Piero della Francesca Fra Angelico Filippo Lippi Michelangelo David Michelangelo David. The most famous statue in the world? For Michelangelo David proved to be a defining moment in his artistic career. The story begins with a commission for a statue of David dating as far back as 1466 when the artist Agostino di Duccio began work on the marble block.

Agostino did not make much progress, only managing to mark out the shape of the legs, feet and drapery, his work on the project ceased for reasons that remain unclear. The project was resurrected some ten years later when the artist Antonio Rossellino worked on the statue but his contract was terminated with no real progression being made. The marble block, purchased from the famous quarries at Carrara, remained in the courtyard workshop of Florence Cathedral and lay neglected for the next twenty five years. After the success of the Rome Pieta of 1499-1500 Michelangelo was recognized as a genius, a master of his craft. The Guild of Wool Merchants wanted to revive the abandoned project for David, Michelangelo was the artist who was offered, and accepted, this prestigious contract. Working with a second-hand piece of marble that had deteriorated during it's years of exposure to the elements did not please the artist, however the Guild of Wool Merchants did state in Michelangelo's contract that the stone was "badly roughed out". The wording is perhaps intended to make it clear to the artist that the aged marble block (too expensive a commodity to waste) was to be used for the statue.

Michelangelo was only twenty-six years old when he won the contract for David. He began work on Monday September 13th 1501 and it would take him two years to turn the marble block into the iconic image that we know and admire today. This rear view of David clearly illustrates Michelangelo's Study for David, 1501-1504 (s) Study for David, 1503-1504 (s) The intended location for the finished statue was the roof of Florence Cathedral but this plan was abandoned when it became clear that raising the six-ton seventeen-feet tall figure was not feasible. A committee including the artists Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli was set up to decide on an appropriate site for the David. The chosen location was the Piazza della Signoria outside the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall of Florence). The heavily guarded statue was pulled into place by a specially prepared cart and it took four days to position in it's new home. According to Vasari Pier Soderini (the Mayor of Florence) was standing beneath the statue as it was put into place. The Mayor complained to Michelangelo that the nose was too thick.

Michelangelo tricked Soderini by climbing the statue with a chisel and some marble dust concealed in his hand, pretending to work on the nose and sending down a shower of dust, he asked Soderini if it was improved, the Mayor replied "I like it better, you have given it life". Michelangelo's David differs from earlier versions ( see the Three David's ) in that it does not show the severed head of Goliath, instead the artist has depicted the moment before the young shepherd begins his battle with the giant Philistine. In 1873 the statue was moved to Accademia art gallery in Florence to protect it from damage, a replica now stands in it's original location at the Piazza della Signoria. Culture Shock: Flashpoints: Visual Arts: Michelangelo's David David, Michelangelo, sculpture, 1501, Florence. Corbis / Bettmann. Michelangelo's David 1501 In 1501, 25-year-old Michelangelo Buonarroti begins working on his colossal masterpiece, the 17-foot-tall marble David.

From a huge block of marble that has been abandoned decades earlier by another sculptor, Michelangelo takes on the challenge of living up to Donatello and other precursors who had sculpted the same heroic figure. The David, portrayed in the Bible as a young shepherd who slew the giant Goliath and went on to become a valiant and just Hebrew king, is a fit symbol of courage and civic duty to guard the city of Florence. Michelangelo is a painter, sculptor, and architect. In this era, all three forms of art are thought to be based on disegno, an artistic discipline built on knowledge of the male human form. Sculpture is considered the finest art form because it mimics divine creation: The sculptural image is found within the block of stone much as the human soul is found within the physical body. The David is considered a masterpiece, an ideal male form combining heroic strength and human uncertainty. It is erected in 1504 in the public plaza of Florence, the Piazza della Signoria.

In 1873, the original is moved to the Accademia delle Belle Arti, where it is better protected for posterity, and a copy of the work is erected in the plaza in 1882. Over the centuries, the genitals and pubic hair on Michelangelo's David cause consternation, especially when the work is reproduced and displayed in other locations. For example, in 1939, a copy of Michelangelo's masterpiece is installed at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, CA, with one addition: A fig leaf is added to cover the genitals and pubic hair of the statue. The leaf is removed in 1969, and the statue remains in its original state until toppled by an earthquake in 1987. In November 1969, a poster image of the statue is confiscated by a vice squad in Sydney, Australia, and the manager of the store is charged with obscenity. Daniel Thomas, curator of the New South Wales Art Museum, calls the action "incredible, utterly ridiculous." The charges are ultimately dropped.

Debates about the appropriateness of displaying reproductions or photographs of the David in such places as schools, dormitory rooms, and churches continue. On the Internet, one company offering marble reproductions of the statue allows purchase of a fig leaf at no extra charge. Today, the image, uncensored or censored, has become iconic in popular reproductions on T-shirts, refrigerator magnets, and in advertising. Michelangelo's David: Admire World's Greatest Sculpture at Accademia Gallery Book your tickets » Michelangelo was only 26 years old in 1501, but he was already the most famous and best paid artist in his days. He accepted the challenge with enthusiasm to sculpt a large scale David and worked constantly for over two years to create one of his most breathtaking masterpieces of gleaming white marble. The Vestry Board had established the religious subject for the statue, but nobody expected such a revolutionary interpretation of the biblical hero. The account of the battle between David and Goliath is told in Book 1 Samuel. Saul and the Israelites are facing the Philistines near the Valley of Elah.

Twice a day for 40 days, Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, comes out between the lines and challenges the Israelites to send out a champion of their own to decide the outcome in single combat. Only David, a young shepherd, accepts the challenge. Saul reluctantly agrees and offers his armor, which David declines since it is too large, taking only his sling and five stones from a brook. David and Goliath thus confront each other, Goliath with his armor and shield, David armed only with his rock, his sling, his faith in God and his courage. David hurls a stone from his sling with all his might and hits Goliath in the center of his forehead: Goliath falls on his face to the ground, and David then cuts off his head. Traditionally, David had been portrayed after his victory, triumphant over the slain Goliath. Florentine artists like Verrocchio, Ghiberti and Donatello all depicted their own version of David standing over Goliath’s severed head. Michelangelo instead, for the first time ever, chooses to depict David before the battle. David is tense: Michelangelo catches him at the apex of his concentration.

He stands relaxed, but alert, resting on a classical pose known as contrapposto. The figure stands with one leg holding its full weight and the other leg forward, causing the figure’s hips and shoulders to rest at opposing angles, giving a slight s-curve to the entire torso. The slingshot he carries over his shoulder is almost invisible, emphasizing that David’s victory was one of cleverness, not sheer force. He transmits exceptional self-confidence and concentration, both values of the “thinking man”, considered perfection during the Renaissance. The story of the creation of David The restoration of David in 2003-2004 It is known from archive documents that Michelangelo worked at the statue in utmost secrecy, hiding his masterpiece in the making up until January 1504. Since he worked in the open courtyard, when it rained he worked soaked. Maybe from this he got his inspiration for his method of work: it is said he created a wax model of his design, and submerged it in water. As he worked, he would let the level of the water drop, and using different chisels, sculpted what he could see emerging.

He slept sporadically, and when he did he slept with his clothes and even in his boots still on, and rarely ate, as his biographer Ascanio Condivi reports. After more than two years of tough work, Michelangelo decided to present his “Giant” to the members of the Vestry Board and to Pier Soderini, the then gonfaloniere of the Republic. In January 1504, his 14 foot tall David was unveiled only to them: they all agreed that it was far too perfect to be placed up high in the Cathedral, thus it was decided to discuss another location in town. The city council convened a committee of about thirty members, including artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and Giuliano da Sangallo, to decide on an appropriate site for David. During the long debate, nine different locations for the statue were discussed, and eventually the statue was placed in the political heart of Florence, in Piazza della Signoria. It took four days and forty men to move the statue the half mile from Michelangelo’s workshop behind Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral to the Piazza della Signoria.

Luca Landucci, herbalist and diarist living nearby, wrote down the exceptional event of the transport in his chronicles: “It was midnight, May 14th, and the Giant was taken out of the workshop. They even had to tear down the archway, so huge he was. Forty men were pushing the large wooden cart where David stood protected by ropes, sliding it through town on trunks. The Giant eventually got to Signoria Square on June 8th 1504, where it was installed next to the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio, replacing Donatello’s bronze sculpture of Judith and Holofernes”. Michelangelo then kept on working on the finer finishing. That summer, the sling and tree-stump support were gilded, and the figure was given a gilded victory-garland. Unfortunately, all gilded surfaces have been lost due to the long period of exposure to weathering agents. Thanks to its imposing perfection, the biblical figure of David became the symbol the liberty and freedom of the Republican ideals, showing Florence’s readiness to defend itself.

It remained in front of Palazzo della Signoria until 1873, when it was moved into the Galleria dell’Accademia to protect it from damage and further weathering. Nowadays, visitors can admire the David under a skylight which was designed just for him in the 19th century by Emilio de Fabris. From a close distance, one can perceive Micheangelo’s passion for the human anatomy and his deep knowledge of the male body. Note the watchful eyes with carved eye bulks, pulsing veins on the back of the hands, engorged with tension. Admire the curve of the taut torso, the flexing of the thigh muscles in the right leg. The proportions of some details are atypical of Michelangelo’s work. The figure has an unusually large head and imposing right hand.These enlargements may be due to the fact that the statue was originally intended to be placed on the cathedral roof line, so important parts of the sculpture had to be necessarily accentuated in order to be visible from below. Another interpretation about these larger details lead scholars to think that Michelangelo intentionally over-proportioned the head to underline the concentration and the right hand to symbolize the pondered action.

Once again, Giorgio Vasari was able to synthesize the absolute perfection of this Renaissance masterpiece which still attracts, and does not disappoint, millions of visitors every year at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence: “For in it may be seen most beautiful contours of legs, with attachments of limbs and slender outlines of flanks that are divine; nor has there ever been seen a pose so easy, or any grace to equal that in this work, or feet, hands and head so well in accord, one member with another, in harmony, design, and excellence of artistry”. (Giorgio Vasari, from his “Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors and architects”). About Accademia.org Accademia.org is a guide written by a team of locals that love Florence and art! We are not the official site nor do we have a direct connection to the Accademia Gallery museum. Tickets and Tours are sold through third-party travel agencies.

How to Book Michelangelo's David - Florence, Italy - ItalyGuides.it Michelangelo's David Michelangelo's David In Autumn 1504 the Florentines witnessed an exceptional event: after four days travelling round the city, transported with the care and attention normally reserved for great events, inside a wooden cage running on greased beams, Michelangelo's David finally reached its destination, the Piazza della Signoria - and was immediately celebrated as one of the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance. The statue was first intended to be displayed in the Cathedral, but was then felt to be of so great merit as to deserve a more important position. Chronicles tell us of the immense surprise and marvel that the Florentines showed as it was uncovered. 'It took the voice away from statues both ancient and modern', wrote Vasari, author of a famous biography of the artist. Such a superb work had never been seen before either in Florence or elsewhere, with its manifest expression of awareness of power. The Florentines, who called it Michelangelo's "giant", considered it the most explicit example of the spirit of the New Republic that had chased the Medici from Florence in 1494.

When he created his David, Michelangelo was not even thirty, but had already produced works of great value such as the Tondo Doni which can be found in the Uffizi today. His David was so successful that he was called back to Rome by the Pope himself, Giulio II, for whom he would then paint the famous Sistine Chapel. The Florence where Michelangelo was born was already the city of art and trade that we know of as the driving centre of the period of cultural rebirth that we call the Renaissance. It had known artists like Giotto, Masaccio and Donatello, but it was in Michelangelo, and naturally Leonardo da Vinci, that Florence saw the incomparable genius that could best represent its cultural supremacy. Michelangelo took three years to finish his David. This great work would confirm him as even more than just Florence's greatest sculptor. What the Florentines saw that day in 1504, was a masterpiece with no equal. A giant almost four and a half meters high and the only large nude sculpted after ancient times, as no-one had previously dared to challenge the Greek and Roman masterpieces.

But though it does remind us of ancient models, the David sculpture is daringly anti-classical. Its position, though expressing perfect balance, alludes at movement, with its left heal raised off the ground. The attitude is strong, arrogant and, above all, filled with inner life like no other similar classical statue. Behind the apparent equilibrium, his David represses strong energy and tension. Michelangelo then does something of genius: he doesn't show us David after Goliath's defeat, triumphant over the giant's head, as in typical iconography, but at an unspecified moment, perhaps just after his victory. Michelangelo does not want to portray the action, but rather the possibility to carry it out and he prefers to show David's strength in power more than in the evidence of historical narration. Strength is expressed in the exceptional vitality of his challenging look, below those frowning eyebrows and in the muscular tension shown by his meticulous design of anatomical parts. So much attention was paid to careful anatomic description that Michelangelo worked on the statue even after it had been put on show, in order to improve the plastic effects in daylight.

Michelangelo also uses an ingenious technique, giving authority to his characters through lack of proportion for some parts: the hands, knotted and extremely beautiful, the face which with the neck is bigger than half the chest. It is in the hands and face that the virtues of universal man are to be found, in other words, physical strength and the intellectual reasoning of man. The entire work represents, in this sense, a perfect synthesis of the Florentine Renaissance. On display in the city's most important square and in front of the seat of its government, the David by Michelangelo often risked serious damage. In 1872 they decided to move it into the Academy Gallery , into a specially designed room where it can still be seen today, while it was only in 1910 that a copy was to be placed on its original site in Piazza della Signoria.

Artist, architect, scholar, but most of all Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor: and it is in the sculptor's action of hitting marble with a chisel in an effort to draw his primary idea, the universal concept out of matter, that his incomparable genius can be found and the reason why, as Vasari said, 'his fame will live on gloriously, despite death'. David by Michelangelo - Michelangelo Sculptures | HowStuffWorks Michelangelo Sculptures Michelangelo's David was commissioned in 1501 by the wealthy Florence City Council. Noted for its immense size, over fourteen feet tall, the importance of David can only be fully appreciated when one considers the historical circumstances of its creation. Michelangelo's David, heroic in form and stature at 14 feet 3 inches tall (excluding the base) presides over the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. In 1501, the Florentine Republic was asserting its newly found independence from Medici rule.

Under constant threat from aggressors, Michelangelo accepted the commission in 1501 to create a gigantic model of heroic youth for one of the buttresses of the Duomo, or cathedral, a structure of enormous civic and spiritual significance to the city of Florence. The enormous marble block given to Michelangelo for the task had been abandoned forty years prior by sculptor Agostino di Duccio and was badly damaged by exposure. Once the David was completed, there was reluctance to relegate such a magnificent work to a high spot on the cathedral. It was eventually decided that the David should stand in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, as a symbol of the new republic. Rear view of Michelangelo's David. It was Michelangelo's intention that the finished David would serve as more than just a fierce protector of the city. While the figure is menacing, there is no indication that he is fueled by aggression. There exists no tension in his considerable arms or legs. Indeed, the political symbolism of the work conveys a warning to fellow Florentines that "Whoever governed Florence should govern justly and defend it bravely...eyes watchful...." The David embodies the Renaissance sensibility of force tempered by intellect.

Detail view of the torso of Michelangelo's David. Michelangelo's David is young but far from immature, and Michelangelo endows the figure with the knotted muscles of an athlete, a massive rib cage, and a confident stance. The huge scale of the sculpture contributes to the figure's threatening and authoritative presence as the young hero is shown keeping watch over the city. Detail view of the hand of Michelangelo's David. Michelangelo was careful to temper the athletic warrior with spiritual attributes fitting a young biblical hero. As he carries the stone loosely in his right hand and the sling lies over his left shoulder, David expresses in his quiet stance the superiority of inner strength over brute force. Not all of Michelangelo's sculptures continued to be as large or as ambitious as the David. See the next section in this article for information on the Pitti Madonna .

To learn more about Michelangelo, art history, and other famous artists, see: The Accademia, Florence - Michelangelo's David The Accademia, Florence - Michelangelo's David Florence Accademia - ticket types, opening times, how to gain admission The Accademia and Michelangelo's David, Florence, Italy - visitor information Second on the 'Florence boxes to tick' list, after the Uffizi , is Michelangelo's David, housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia. There is a copy standing in Palazzo della Signoria, but the boy himself is a walk away, and attracts visitors at the same sort of level as the Uffizi does. The Accademia del Disegno was the first academy of drawing in Europe, and was founded in the middle of the sixteenth century by Vasari, Bronzino and Ammannati. Relocated from Santissima Annunziata to Via Ricasoli, it became a wider and more general academy of arts and was christened the Accademia di Belle Arti.

Twenty years later, courtesy of the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, the school gained its own nearby gallery, the Galleria dell'Accademia, current home of David. David was commissioned in 1501 by the Cathedral Works Committee (Opera Del Duomo). At the age of 26, Michelangelo was given a leftover block of marble that came from the mountains of Carrara, one which had previously been worked on by various other artists. The piece was intended as a monumental work, a testimony to the city's republican pride, not one for close confinement, but was moved to the Accademia in 1873 (from outside the Palazzo Vecchio, where a replica now stands ) to protect it from the ravages of time and the weather. Viewed as a gallery piece, David looks odd; his upper body and head are both out of proportion, and out of keeping with the Renaissance obsession with the perfect harmony of form and proportion. However, it's argued that this is yet more evidence of Michelangelo's bravura - not only is David an incredible feat of technical skill, the scale is deliberate, as from the original viewpoint of the viewer the upper body would have been much farther away.

The gallery is also home to another remarkable work by Michelangelo, the unfinished piece entitled 'Slaves', and there are large picture galleries as well as other works of sculpture to be seen; however, there can be no doubting the true crowd-pleaser, the world famous image of Florence, David. Upon request we are able to organise guided tours of the Accademia (as well as other Florence art museums) - please click here for details. You may view a location map here , a fully zoomable Google map here.

Question: In which city can you see the original statue of Michelangelo’s David?
Answer: Florence